Forever Falling Into Nothing
by modest serenity
Summary: When Betty witness something scandalous, she must decide whether to step in and protect Daniel or keep her nose out of his business and deal with her mounting feelings for a certain sports assistant ....
1. Chapter 1

**Forever Falling Into Nothing**

**Summary: When Betty witness something scandalous, she must decide whether to step in and protect Daniel or keep her nose out of his business and deal with her mounting feelings for a certain sports assistant .....**

**An: This is my first Ugly Betty fanfic, and while it may be slightly twisted, I actually would like to have seen this happen in the storylines. Call me weird....**

Betty sat at a bar in upper New York wondering how her life had managed to take a horrible turn for the complicated. Looking down into her third margarita she realized she was going to need another drink. Usually when she had a bad day, she would go home and talk to her Papi and her sister about it, but this time she couldn't. This would be something not even _they _could help give advice on. Not only had Conner gotten away with embezzling money from the company, but Molly had revealed that her cancer had returned and that she would be spending the rest of her time with her family. It had been a decision that had completely crushed Daniel. She groaned softly. Her head was beginning to throb painfully. She didn't want to think about Daniel. Especially not after she had witnessed hours ago in his office which was the reason why she was sitting at the bar in the first place.

Pulling out her phone, she began to scroll through her address book searching for someone she could speak to. She would have called Christina, but her Irish friend was busy recovering from giving birth a few weeks ago. Amanda, was definitely not an option and Henry was far too complicated. She would call Matt, the sport's assistant in her Yeti class, but she wasn't exactly sober and she didn't trust herself not to make a fool of herself in front of the very cute guy. Her eyes brightened as she came across one number that she knew could call on. Seconds later she typed a brief text and hit the send button.

_Come to The Dirty Lagoon bar on 53rd street ASAP. I have something MAJOR to talk to you about...._

As she waited for his response, she ordered another drink and began to nod her head to the music pulsating throughout the bar.

_What is so major, Suarez? I am kinda in the middle of something...or should I say on the bottom? ;)_

Why was he text winking at her unless his comment meant that he was...

She nearly spit up her drink in disgust. She had already had enough disturbing images swimming through her head. She did not need Mark adding to that. Inhaling deeply, she lifted her phone from her lap and sent him a text message back.

_TMI, Mark. Just stop what you are doing and get over here. It is very important..._

Thirty minutes later, she spotted Mark walking into the bar, and she waved trying to get his attention.

"Omg, what on earth are you wearing? You seriously look like a blaring SOS. Save Outrageous Suarez," he said starring at her outfit with horror in disdain.

Betty ignored him, and Mark frowned.

"This has better be a _real _emergency, Suarez. You pulled me away from an sinfully gorgeous hairstylist who was feeling a bit emo-ish...," he started.

"Shut up, Mark and sit down. This is serious," Betty snapped.

Mark frowned, not happy with her tone of voice, but he obeyed her command reluctantly. For Betty to be _this _upset, meant that something really dramatic and bad have had to happen. She was about to start speaking, when he signaled her to stop and turned to the bartender with a sweet smile.

"Bartender, let me have an apple martini, stirred not shaken," he ordered.

The bartender smiled flirtatiously before going to going to fill his order. He was tall with dark hair, bright blue eyes, and dimples that made Mark want to just melt.

Mark eyes followed the ass of the bartender with an appreciative smile on his lips. Tight, firm and hidden behind a nice pair of designer jeans. He could definitely see himself taking those jeans off, very slowly...

"Mark, focus," Betty protested.

Mark snapped back to the present and smiled down at Betty wide eyed, but tolerantly.

"Ok.... wait. Tell me though, am I going to need a shot of something strong to hear this?" he asked suspiciously.

Betty shook her head.

"I already had four, and trust me, it's not going to help erase the image of what I saw. I think I am going to have night mares about it for as long as I live. Just imagine two people who you _never _wanted to see having sex, having sex," she grumbled.

Mark's curiosity rose greatly. It wasn't every day that he would see the innocent and wholesome Betty Suarez drinking more then an glass of alcohol beverage. For her to have turned to drinking, meant that she had some newsworthy gossip for him.

"Oh my gosh! Did you catch Amanda with the dweeby weird guy who works in the mail room? I _knew _she was sleeping with him, that little liar. That's so nasty," he smirked with self satisfaction.

Betty rolled her eyes. She was starting to regret calling Mark. While they have grown closer over the years, they weren't exactly friends and Mark tended to be more shallow when she was in need of his substance.

"No, I didn't catch Amanda messing around with some dweeby weird guy. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, you had a crush on him way before," she was cut off by a scathing glare from Mark.

"I did not have any kind of crush on that Hobbit wanna be. Seriously, Betty. Do you think I would just do any guy just because I am gay. I am deeply, _deeply, _offended," he sniffed, pretending to be insulted.

Betty glared at him.

"_Anyways, _what I saw was worse. Much worse," she said swallowing deeply.

Mark arched an eyebrow curiously as he propped his chin on his elbow and stared at her expectantly.

"Well I guess what you saw is juicy after all. I was starting to have my doubts, Betty. So tell me, who is doing who?" he grinned in anticipation.

Betty took a deep breath. While she knew reliving the incident would be even more traumatic, she knew she had to get the secret off her chest before it drove her completely crazy.

"Ok, it happened when I went back to the office because I forgotten some spreadsheets that I was suppose to have for Daniel..." she started....

_**(Flashback)**_

_**Two hours ago....**_

_**-Ding-**_

_Betty sighed heavily as she stepped through the open elevator doors and headed towards her desk. She was tired and have ben half way home when she realized she had left an unfinished project at the office on her desk. A part of her had hesitated coming back, but with her working hard on her projects at Yeti, she knew that it would be bad to slack on her duties as Daniel's administrative assistant, so here she was. Her heels clicked softly across the marble floor as she headed towards her desk. Somewhere in the building she could hear the sound of a floor wax er purring softly, letting her know that the janitors were once again working late. Other then several scattered lights in the ceiling being on, the building was dark. The place was defiantly really creepy and uninviting at night when it was empty._

_Rummaging through her desk, it took her a moment to find what she was looking for. However, seconds later, her hand emerged victoriously from her bottom drawer holding the file that she needed to have looked over before the next morning. `She was preparing to leave , when a slight movement in the office across the hall had caught her eye. It was Daniel's office. Although the room was dark, she could tell from shadows bouncing off the walls that someone was inside. Using her middle finger, she shoved her glasses securely on the bridge of her nose as she quietly walked over to the office. Her ears perked up in an attempt to better hear the quiet noises coming from inside._

_Peering through the glass, at first she didn't see anything. Everything looked to be in perfect order. Suddenly she spotted a silk red blouse on the floor near a pair of very high pair of high heels. Betty frowned. For a moment she had started to think that maybe Molly had come back and her and Daniel was in his office having some kind of make up sex, but something was entirely off. That type of blouse was definitely not Molly's shade, and the shoes was totally not the school teacher's taste. She wasn't exactly sure, but she was certain that she had seen that particular blouse and pair of shoes before. Suddenly a fairly large hand slammed against the foggy window that she had her face pressed to causing her to gasp softly startled and stumble back a few feet._

_"Wow...that was...amazing." Daniel's voice was low and husky filled with the type of satisfaction only achieved after a certain level of sexual appeasement._

_Betty groaned. Daniel was so predictable. Whenever he would get hurt or feel that he had lost control over things, he would try to compensate by having some meaningless fling with some young attractive woman he had mostly met at some high class bar. However she was surprised that he had acted so quickly when his breakup with Molly had only taken place a few hours ago..._

_His statement was followed by the sound of a sarcastic laugh belonging to a female._

_"While I couldn't agree more, don't expect this to ever happen again. This was a one time thing."_

_Betty's eyes widened as she backed away from the office door with a sense of shock washing over her. She recognized that voice, and suddenly she realized where she had seen the expensive looking blouse and the Prada black shoes. She felt her stomach turn and her legs go weak. She had to be mistaken. Daniel had done a lot of crazy, shocking and mind-blowing things over the years that she had known him, but this had to be the worse. It was almost like it was a some kind of sick and twisted betrayal. He seriously couldn't be in his office having sex with....._

_**(Flashback Ends...)**_

She closed her eyes trying not to feel sick at what she was about to expose. The woman's voice grated on her nerves, like nails on a chalkboard. When she opened them seconds later, she found Mark's jaws practically on the floor. It was more then obvious that the suspense was going to kill him. A part of her wanted to spare him. Once he learned what she had witnessed, she knew that he would probably be just as devastated as her, or worse.

"Alright, Betty. Your dramatic thing was really cute and appealing at first, but now I am getting impatient, so tell me what you saw, or else I swear, I will walk out of this place and I'll take that sexy bartender with me and you will have to find another pretty face to fix your margarita," he warned.

Betty swallowed hard.

"Daniel is sleeping with someone who works in our office," she said, her face pale.

Mark's face fell disappointed.

"Seriously, Betty. You better have proof that this woman is someone secretly really famous or is really a man or I will kill you. Daniel has have sex with more people in the office more times then Amanda has had sex in the coed bathroom at Mode, and trust me that is a lot," he snorted.

"No, Mark. It wasn't just any woman. It was...it was...Wilhemina."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming and if Willie seems out of character in this story try to remember she isn't really the same bad ass cut throat bitch we saw during the first couple of seasons. In my honest opinion, her character has beginning to show signs of being a little more caring and soft, but not **_**too **_**much, so hopefully I manage to capture the balance between the two different sides of her, and if I haven't feel free to let me know by review. Forgive me if there are alot of errors but my beta bailed.... **

**The Next day....**

Wilhemina sat in her office starring blankly out at the tall buildings that blanketed New York City. Usually she would feel like a powerful empress starring out at the city full of life that she had always fantasized about conquering, but today she felt like she was nothing more then a simpleton of a woman. Over the past few months she had allowed herself to fall in love and became so blinded by her need to have an companion that was equal to herself, that she hadn't notice that she was being played all along. A part of her wanted to believe that Conner truly did love her, but if he did, why did he steal from her company behind her back? Why did he leave without her? She sighed softly. She could still smell him on her skin and it made her heart hurt even more. However, that morning his scent wasn't the only scent she could smell lingering on her skin. She flushed as she remembered the very vivid and erotic incident that had taken place last night. In her efforts to forget about Connor, she had done the unimaginable...

_**Flashback**_

_**She had returned to the office late that night because she hadn't been able to sleep. Reluctantly, she had left her baby with the housekeeper who had worked for her over the years so that she could clear her mind without disrupting the sleep of her child. Conner had left her and not only had robbed the company of a lot of money but also broke her heart in the process. She was amazed that she had managed to survive the day from hell in one piece. Well, physically survive. Her heart hadn't been so lucky, if the shattered pain she felt in her chest wast any indication. Blinking back tears, she held her head up high and struggled to push all thoughts of her former lover to the back of her mind. She was Wilhemina Slater. She had foolishly fallen in love, but now that Conner was gone, she could get back to doing what she loved best. Taking control of Mode. Quietly, she walked through the elevator doors and made a beeline towards her office. The place was dark and empty which suited her just fine. **_

_**Suddenly a soft cough made her stop dead in her tracks. She looked around wondering who on Earth could still be here at such an ungodly hour. Her eyes noticed a small light comming from an office down the hall. Daniel's office. While she could care less about Daniel, her curiousity of why he was still in the office got the best of her which had led her to standing in the threshold of his doorway. **_

_**Daniel was slouched down in the white couch in the middle of his office, and he looked a mess. His hair was messy as well as the Armani suit he was wearing. His tie was undone and his jacket had been tossed aside. Judging from the expression on his face, she realized Connor's betrayal had affected Daniel Meade more then she realized.**_

_**"What the hell are you still doing here, and why are you sitting alone in the dark?" she had asked abruptly.**_

_**Daniel looked up at her and smiled wearily.**_

_**"I think a better question would be is why is Wilhemina Slater at the office after hours? I figured with a newborn and everything else, the office would be the last place where you would want to be," he mumbled. **_

_**She shrugged.**_

_**"I figured I could come get an early start on the magazine we have to have out by the end of the week," she lied easily.**_

_**Daniel arched an eyebrow skeptically.**_

_**"Oh. My guess would have been to get your mind off Conner, but apparently I am wrong," he said casually.**_

_**At the mention of Conner, she had tensed up and felt a wave of pain and sorrow wash over her. It was crazy how he hadn't even been gone for a day and she missed him so much. It hurt her to the core of her soul that she would never wake up to his beautiful smile in the mornings, or fall asleep in his arms at night.**_

_**"So where's Molly? I figured the two of you would be off somewhere celebrating Conner's departure seeing how the both of you weren't exactly too fond of him," she said curtly, trying not to appear as weak and frail as she felt.**_

_**Daniel smile quickly faded and in that moment Wilhemina realized something had happened.**_

_**"Molly is dying and she went to spent the rest of the time she has left with her family," he said dully.**_

_**The news had taken her by surprise. Molly had been sick? Why haven't Conner ever spoke about this to her? The last question made her lips twist into a bitter smile. How could she be surprised that Conner would keep that a secret? He wasn't exactly forthcoming about his embezzling ways...**_

_**"Try not to be so pathetic, Daniel. Molly left for a good reason. She still loves you, but there is an unmoveable obstacle in between you two," she said firmly.**_

_**"I could be there for her, Wilhemina. I can help her through it," he whispered brokenly.**_

_**Wilhemina's expression softened as she sat beside him.**_

_**"Daniel, why is it that men are always so caught up in what it is that they want? Think about her desires. Did you even stop to think that she wants to spare you the pain of having to watch her die?" she asked gently.**_

_**Daniel looked at her, obviously not wanting to talk about Molly anymore. A long moment of silence passed between them before Daniel cleared his throat softly.**_

_**"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Conner and the way he left you. You may deserve alot of bad things, Wilhemina, but you didn't deserve that," he said genuinely.**_

_**Wilhemina smiled briefly.**_

_**"Well Conner was just a minor distraction. Now that he is officially out of my life I can get back on track of my career," she said with more conviction then she felt.**_

_**"Who's being pathetic now? Wilhemina, you just lost the man you loved. You can at least act like it hurts. Or maybe you weren't really in love with him to begin with," he said evenly. **_

_**His words were like a cruel slap to the face, and she could feel anger surge through her. She quickly rose from the couch, putting distance in between them.**_

_**She made a move to walk out of his office, but stopped suddenly. Turning around, she stared at him coldly with her arms folded across her chest trying to keep her temper in check.**_

_**"You don't know a damn thing about how Conner and I felt for each other. You think that you and Molly were the only ones to be in love? You are wrong! Conner and I love each other very much and you are a damn fool to think otherwise," she snapped viciously.**_

_**Daniel stared at her contritely, regretting what he had said.**_

_**"I'm sorry, Wilhemina. I had no right to say that," he said quietly.**_

_**She was turning to leave once more when she felt something burst inside of her. The power of this sudden emotion took her by surprise causing her to double over holding her midsection gasping for air.**_

_**"Wilhemina?" Daniel inquired concerned rising from his chair and making his way over to her.**_

_**She heard him call her name, but it sounded so distant. She knew what was about to happen and although she was trying hard not to let it happen, she was powerless. The last time she had felt this intense feeling was when she had learned just how deeply her daughter had resented her. The first tear had come crashing down on her cheek followed by several more until she was sobbing uncontrollably. **_

_**No one had ever seen her cry. Not even Mark. She had mastered the ability of not showing emotion. She was a woman who usually held things together so that the world could see her as strong and competent. However at the moment, she had become weak. Her body shook beneath the rage and grief that was being released with every tear that she shed. It had finally sunk in that the man that she had loved with every ounce of her being had left and he was never coming back. The more she thought about it, the harder she wept until she could barely stand.**_

_**Suddenly she felt a pair of arms wrap around her pulling her into a comforting embrace. Usually Wilhemina hated for anyone she couldn't stand to have any physical contact with her, but at the moment she was grateful for Daniel's arms. They were the only thing keeping her from collapsing. He held her close, almost in a way a person would hold a small child to comfort them. **_

_**"He's gone...Conner's gone," she whispered, exhausted from crying.**_

_**"I know that it hurts like hell, but you will pull through this. We both will," he whispered holding her tighter.**_

_**Moments later, she untangled herself from his arms feeling mortified and humiliated that he had caught her in a very weak and vulnerable moment. She was opening her mouth to defend her breakdown, but the words died on her lips as she noticed the strange way he was starring down at her.**_

_**"I don't know why but seeing you cry, and seeing you show real genuine emotion makes you seem so much more human. For the first time I'm not seeing you as someone who is without a soul. I'm seeing a woman who has had her heart broken and I never thought I would say this, but, for the first time I think Daniel Meade and Wilhemina Slater have something in common. How about that?" he chuckled softly.**_

_**His words had left her speechless....**_

_**Flashback Ends....**_

Overcome by her moment of weakness, she had kissed him. She had pulled away seconds later, dismayed by her action. Her dismay had turned into shock when he had pulled her back and kissed her hungrily. Closing her eyes, she could still see herself lying on the floor of Daniel Meade's office with him between her legs and his lips crushed against hers, his soft moan in her ears....her cries of delicious pleasure...

The sudden opening of her office door nerarly caused her to jump out of her skin causing her to smash her knee against the corner of her desk. That was definetly going to leave a bruise on her perfectly flawless light brown skin. She groaned in pain as she rubbed her injury while turning her glare on to the person who had _dared _to enter her office so brazenly without knocking.

"Mark, there has better be a good reason why you are disturbing me," she hissed, her voice filled with venom.

Mark stared at his boss with trepidation. It was apparently Wlhemina was in one of her dark foul mood's and he couldn't blame her. If she had done what Betty had claimed she had did, then Wilhemina may have just sacrificed everything that _they _had worked for over the years.

He trembled as he walked slowly across the room and placed a small cup of tea on her desk.

"Willie, we have to talk. It really can't wait," Mark said firmly, after he had closed the office door behind him securely.

Wilhemina moaned softly as she began to massage her temples. Her head was beginning to throb dully and she felt a rather nasty headache coming on. She should have known something was up when Mark had come to her with peppermint tea. He usually only prepared that for her when he was about to deliver her news that would enrage her.

"What is it? Is Hedi Klum once again backing out of doing the photoshoot for this months cover?" she asked agitated.

Mark shook his head. Although the blond supermodel had called earlier expressing concerns and protest about the scheduled photo shoot, Mark had dealt with her like a pro.

"No, it's worse," he said reluctantly, "There is this crazy person who is convinced about a certain scandal involving...you."

Wilhemina sighed annoyed. She didn't have time for this. She already had enough on her plate with dealing with the magazine, Daniel, Conner, and her baby. She wasn't in any mood to fight some ridiculous rumor.

"Well don't just stand there, Mark. Tell me who this crazy person is and I will make sure that they will rue the day that they ever let my name come out of their mouth in a negative light," she said, her eyes flashing with vengeance.

Mark gulped loudly.

"W-well, y-you see, W-willie, I can't exactly reveal m-my source," he stammered nervously.

"Spit it out, Mark. You know there is nothing that annoys me more then a stuttering fool," she growled narrowing her cat like green eyes at her assistant evenly.

Mark gulped nervously.

"Betty Suarez claim to have seen you sleep with Daniel Meade," he blurted quickly.

Wilhemina felt her chest tighten. She had been trying desperately all day to forget that she had done the unthinkable and slept with the man she had spent years despising. She should have known better to hope that news of her moment of indiscretion with Daniel wouldn't spread around Mode like a wild fire. A part of her was surprise that Betty had been the one to blab seeing how the tacky dressed assistant wasn't known to gossip.

Mark realized that if wanted to live to see another day, he would drop the subject but something inside of him just couldn't let it go. It was obvious from her silence that she had_ indeed _done the scandalous deed and slept with Daniel.

"Willie, you of all people know that I hold all your secrets near and dear to my heart and would never utter a word. If you slept with Daniel, I need to know so I can...," he trailed off soflty.

Wilhemina sighed and stared at him wearily.

"So that you can what, Mark? Go find that little hyena of a friend you call Amanda and cackle at how I must be losing my mind, or about how soft and powerless I have become?" she asked hotly.

Mark stared at her hurt.

"No, I was going to say so that I can protect you."

Wilhemina's hardened expression softened at his confession. The one person she knew that would always have her back was her little pet, Mark. As much as his antics truly annoyed her, she couldn't deny that she had grown quite fond of him over the years and it always surprised her at far he would be willing to go to prove his loyalty to her.

"I don't need protection, Mark. What I _need _is to make sure that what happened with Daniel last night, never happens again. As much as I hate to admit this, I had a weak moment. Conner left me and I was feeling..." she trailed off quietly feeling her heart ache intensify at the thought of him.

"Vulnerable?" Mark offered meekly.

Wilhemina snapped out of the sadness that had threatened to consume her and tightened her lips firmly.

"I am a mother now, Mark. I can no longer afford to fall prey to my emotions, and I most certainly cannot afford to make devastating mistakes such as the one I made last ... I loved Conner, but I have to look towards the future. Mode is my child's future and I would be damned if I let him or anyone else screw my son of what is his birthright. Now if you will excuse me, I have a meeting I need to prepare for and before you leave to go to your Yeti seminar, make sure you let little Betty Suarez know that I would appreciate it if she minded her own buisness. She knows that I am the last person that she wants to cross," she warned coldly.

Makr could practically see the frost coming off Wilhemina's breath as she uttered the chilling threat, with an all too familiar type of dark evil in her eyes. He could feel his wheezing intensify which always happened when he was in fear of Wilhemina. His asthma was practically non existent outside of him dealing with the wrath of his boss. He turned to leave, when she barked out his name, causing him to freeze in his steps.

"Yes, Willie?" he managed to say through his shallow breathing, his eyes wide with fear.

He heard the sound of her drawer open and shut softly.

"Here," she said sternly.

He turned around, half expecting to see her wielding some weapon of torture, but what he saw in her hand completely caught him off guard. It was his inhaler.

"Take it. I don't need you falling out when there is tons of work to be done," she said curtly, tossing him the small object which he caught.

He stared at her feeling touched. Although Wilhemina would probably die before she would ever admit it, she cared about him. He knew on some level, she saw him as more then just a pet and assistant.

"Leave, now!" she growled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

As quickly as it had faded, Mark's wheezing had returned.

"Yes, Willie," he gasped before fleeing her office as if the the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

Exhaling deeply Wilhemina sat in the plush chair behind her desk and began to sip on the green tea that Mark had bought her when he had first came into the office. She was appalled to see that her hands were trembling slightly; a glaring sign that her nerves were bad.

"Damn it!" she cursed frustrated as she set the small silver tea cup back on it's coaster on the desk.

Wilhemina shook her head, feeling flushed. She didn't have the time or the energy to let her emotions spiral out of control. Besides, she had a meeting with the head of each department at the magazine, so pulling herself together, she took a deep breath and rose from her chair. Smoothing down her teal colored pencil skirt that clung tightly to her hips, she grabbed the black folder containing her notes for the meeting and walked out of the office leaving all thoughts of Daniel in the deepest and darkest corners of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming....**

"Listen, Greg, I know that liquidating my own funds is a risk, but it's my risk to take. I appreciate your concern, but as my lawyer, you are to make sure that my wishes are carried out. Are we clear?" Daniel asked sternly, before slamming the phone down on the hook.

Betty sat at her desk watching concerned as Daniel paced his office like a caged lion. All morning her boss had been pretty short tempered and she couldn't blame him. He had been making heated phone calls all day and with each one, his mood seemed to worsen. The company was just a few short heartbeats of being bankrupted and Betty couldn't imagine how stressed out Daniel had to be feeling. All morning she had been getting calls from tv stations and newspapers asking her to comment whether or not that Mode was going to go dark. She had given the appropriate statement of "no comment" but she couldn't help but to get the sinking feeling that the fashion magazine had used all nine lives and was about to go under.

"You keep frowning like that and I'm going to have to buy you an unlimited supply of jelly beans."

Betty gasped startled as she looked up to find Matt grinning down at her. His raven black hair was perfect as usual and his eyes was filled with so much warmth that it practically made her melt. He was wearing a black collard shirt that exposed the smoothness of his throat and dark jeans that complimented his height exceptionally well. She fumbled for something to say as she scrambled out of her chair.

"Matt! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed surprised.

The handsome sports assistant smirked.

"You weren't returning any of my phone calls last night. I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me."

Betty blushed furiously. Two days ago, Matt had kissed her and it had been the most tender and passionate kiss she had ever experienced. She recalled the softness of his lips and the delicate way he cupped her face as he had took the kiss a step further. She had felt betrayed that he had tried to buy her house, but when he had explained his reason and kissed her, her anger had faded away and she was only left with the emotion of how much she was really starting to like him.

Matt lowered his eyes ashamed.

"Is it because of that kiss? Because if I made you uncomfortable....," he started.

Betty shook her head.

"No, Matt. The kiss was great! I mean it didn't make me uncomfortable. It's just that things here at work have been crazy and I haven't found the time to have a moment to myself to even think about...us," she said shyly.

Matt was about to reply when Daniel poked his head out of his office.

"Betty, do you have those files I needed?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yes, Daniel. I'll be there in a minute," she replied with her usual smile, before turning her attention back to Matt.

Matt chuckled softly.

"Well I can see that you are really busy so how about I take you out to dinner tonight to get your mind off of things? This time I promise I won't forget to bring my wallet," he teased.

Betty laughed.

"Matt, I wish I could but," she tried.

"Betty, are you coming?" Daniel asked sounding a little peeved at her delay.

She smiled apologetically at Matt.

He moved closer to her with a devious look in his eye.

"Well I won't leave until you say yes," he murmured, his gaze filled with affection causing a shiver to dance down her spine.

Betty reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she tried not to look flustered.

"I'm really sorry. I have to go. I'll go to dinner with you. How does seven sound?" she asked quickly as she gathered files off her desk to bring to Daniel.

Matt smiled eagerly.

"Seven is perfect. I'll call you later, Suarez," he said huskily before turning and walking off.

Inhaling deeply, she glanced one last time in the direction of Matt's retreating figure before walking into her boss office.

"Sorry, Daniel," she mumbled as she handed him the files he had requested.

Her boss smiled at her warmly.

"It's fine, Betty. I think it's great that you are finally moving on past Henry and that sandwich guy," he said gently.

Betty felt a warm flush creep up the back of her neck.

"The sandwich guy name was Gio, and I have moved past him and Henry a long time ago," she said defensively.

Betty was preparing to leave the office when she stopped short of the door. She noticed a small diamond earring embedded into the black plush carpet beneath Daniel's white sofa. Leaning down, she gingerly lifted the piece of jewelry from the ground. She didn't have to guess who the expensive piece of jewelry belonged to .

"Hey Daniel, can we talk about something...personal?" she asked hesitantly as she closed his office door.

Daniel smiled apologetically as he rose from his desk.

"Listen, Betty, I would love nothing more for us to chat, but right now I have to go see Wilhemina," he said firmly, as he pushed back from his desk and put on his suit jacket.

Betty paled noticeably and she could feel her stomach turn in knots. It was worse then she had thought. They were still seeing each other. Suddenly something occurred to her that made her head feel dizzy. What if last night wasn't the first time they had been sleeping together? What if this had been going on for a while? Was it possible that it was Wilhemina and Daniel's relationship that _really_ drove Connor to steal from the company? Her mind was filled with so many different scenario's that she was starting to get a headache.

"Betty, are you okay? You look faint," Daniel asked concerned.

"Wilhemina? Why do you have to see her?" she asked in a high pitch voice.

Daniel sighed.

"I have some things to take care of outside of the office and I wanted to make sure that she and my mother had things under control while I was gone," he explained.

His excuse sounded legit, but she wasn't buying it. Daniel was obviously not going to come clean about his dirty deed, and she didn't have the stomach to make him confess. Quietly, she approached him and placed the earring in his hand.

"Here. I found this on the floor. If you want you can just give me the address of whom this rather expensive piece of jewelry belongs to and I'll make sure that they get it back before the day is over," she offered feeling slightly awkward.

Daniel smiled nervously.

"Uh, that's okay, Betty. I plan on seeing her again today. I'll just give it to her myself," he said simply.

Betty shifted uncomfortably.

"Daniel...is there something you want to tell me?" she asked softly.

He looked at her innocently.

"I don't think so, why? Is there something that you think that I'm keeping from you?" he joked lightly.

Betty forced a smile. If Daniel was content in pretending that nothing was going on, she was not going to push the matter any further.

"Daniel, I just wanted to say that I know that you are going through a pretty rough time and if you need to talk, I'm here. Even if what you want to talk about is something...uncomfortable."

"Betty, are you sure you are alright? You are acting really strange," Daniel said starring at her with a frown.

"I'm fine," she assured quickly, before retreating from the office.

Daniel watched as his assistant scampered back to her desk. Something was going on with her. She was acting weird. He made a mental note to ask her about it later as he walked out of his office and over to Wilhemina's. As he turned the corner, he nearly ran into someone and he caught the person to keep them from falling. Looking down, he was startled to see it was none other then Wilhemina herself.

He could see her physically tense as stared up at him. Her hands rested on his chest and his hands somehow found their way to her shapely hips. Their eyes locked and he could feel blood rush to his face. Judging from her wide eyed horrified expression, he could tell that she was thinking about the previous night like he was.

"I'm on my way to a meeting, Daniel. Do you have the budget that you are suppose to brief the staff on?" she asked crisply, taking a couple of steps back to put space in between them.

She was wearing a tailored cut teal green suit that complimented her eyes, with a strand of pearls around her neck. Her eyes were narrowed with annoyance and her lips were pursed firmly; a sign of impatience. The top button of the jacket was unfastened and he could see a sample of her ample cinnamon brown cleavage peeking out. Breast he had seen up close and personal... Quickly he diverted his eyes and cleared his throat softly.

"Yeah....about that... I won't have time to stick around for the meeting with the department heads. I have to go meet with my lawyers to sign some papers so that I can transfer my own money into the company to keep it from going bankrupt. I was wondering if maybe later tonight you and I can grab some dinner and you can fill me in on what took place in the meeting so that I can be caught up," he asked.

Wilhemina arched her perfectly trimmed eyebrow dubiously.

"Dinner?" she echoed.

Daniel could see the dismay and horror in her eyes and shook his head amused. He was beginning to think that maybe he should have elaborated more on his intentions. After all, they _had _slept together, and the mention of dinner could be taken out of context.

"Relax. I'm not asking you on a date. It's a business dinner. With everything that is going on around this place, I can't afford to be left out of the loop and I need to be kept up to speed," he said patiently.

Wikhemina looked relieved.

"Well my nanny has taken a leave of emergency to go see her family in New Jersey. I don't think I can find a sitter for William in time," she tried.

Daniel nodded.

"Well if it's okay with you, I will just stop by your place and you can give me the details of the meeting. How does eight sound?" he inquired.

Wilhemina nodded and sighed.

"Hopefully he'll be asleep by then. I forgot just how agitated a newborn can be. You would think me having a child all those years ago would have taught me better," she mumbled.

They exchanged a smile and Daniel suddenly found himself thinking about the previous night they had spent together intimately. Although it had been bizarre and completely unexpected, he had found himself experiencing a new and intimate side of Wilhemina that he had never saw before. She wasn't as tough as she made herself out to be. Becoming a mother had taken some of the sting out of her previously poisonous attitude. Last night she had not only shed tears, but she had been completely submissive to him. The fact that he had managed to control her during sex had been the biggest turn on he had ever experienced in his life.

"Oh, by the way, Betty found this in my office. I had to do some major covering to keep her from getting suspicious. I think she disapproves of the fact that I have had "relations" so soon after my break up with Molly," he murmured handing her the earing.

Wilhemina took it and placed it inside of her purse.

"Well you don't have to worry about keeping our mishap from her. That pest you call an assistant already knows about our little...indiscretion. She was the one who blabbed to Mark," she said curtly.

Daniel eyes widened in surprise. No wonder Betty had been acting strange. The fact that she knew made him uneasy. He could only imagine the misconstrued things running through the mind of his assistant. Yeah he was _definitely _going to have to talk to her the moment he got a chance. The last thing he needed was Betty thinking he was having a secret torrid affair with the woman who had tried to destroy him countless of times.

"Speaking about last night," he started.

Wilhemina did something Daniel had never seen her do. She blushed.

"Listen, Daniel. We were both in a very troubled place and we weren't thinking. I am more then willing to forget the fact that we slept together if you are," she said anxiously.

Daniel took a moment to observe her silently. He had never seen Wilhemina look so nervous and uncomfortable. She was biting down on her bottom lip softly, and she was looking everywhere but at him. Usually he would have exploited her emotions to get his amusement, but today something stopped him. Maybe it was the fact that he knew she was going through a tough time and wanted to spare her or maybe it was the fact that he felt sorry for her. As much as he hated to admit it, something had changed between them, and he had the feeling the change had taken place long before they had slept together. It wasn't that he liked her... it was more that he no longer....hated her.

"Consider it forgotten," he assured.

She breathed a deep sigh of relief and flashed him a smile of gratitude.

_God, she was so stunning when she smiled, _he thought to himself as he smiled back.

"Good. Now if you will excuse me, I am late for the meeting. I will see you tonight at eight sharp," she paused and gave him a piercing look, "Do be late, Daniel. I hate to be kept waiting, and bring Thai food."

He smirked somewhat relieved that she had returned to her natural sarcastic and bossy persona. As she brushed past him, he caught a whiff of her perfume that he recognized as vintage San & Sable. Closing his eyes, the smell bought him back to when he was slowly undressing her on the floor of her office. He could remember thinking that he had never remembered deception smelling so good. There was no doubt in his mind that Wilhemina was a cunning and deceitful woman, but on some level, he respected her drive to get ahead. Her ruthlessness was part of the reason Mode & Meade was successful. He found himself watching her march down the hall in her black heels clicking across the tile floor and her skirt clinging to her curves like a second skin. He shook his head and walked the opposite way towards the elevator waiting to taking him to the parking garage of the building where he was meeting his limo. He had to stop thinking about her and the passionate night they had shared together. She was Wilhemina Slater, and he was Daniel Meade. They were co editors. Nothing more and nothing less. As he came to accept this truth in his mind, it was unknown to him that his mother, Claire Mead, had been standing hidden near the office and had heard every word that had been exchanged between him and Wilhemina.


	4. Chapter 4

**An: Sorry for the delay...I am working on way too many projects lol**

"So I was totally buzzed last night and you will _never _guess who I ran into..." Amanda rambled excitedly as she sat at Betty's desk with her feet, strapped in the latest Prada heels, propped on the edge. In between telling her rather long story, she paused to check her makeup in her pocket mirror vainly. Betty watched dumbly as Amanda slowly applied strawberry lip gloss to her already flawless full lips.

Sighing annoyed, she shoved Amanda's feet off her desk before trying to ignore the chattering blonde who was popping her gum loudly and twirling her hair around on her index finger. She had enough going on in her head without having to hear Amanda re encounter some drunken adventure she had at the bar the previous night. With everything happening with her relationship with Matt, and her boss Daniel, she had no patience for any other distractions. She was about out to tell Amanda for the hundredth time to go away when an alarm went off softly in her desk. Glancing down at her watch, she sighed relieved when she saw that it was time for lunch. At lunch she would have time to sort her thoughts out by letting Christina in on everything that has been happening. Christina was the one person who was level headed enough to make sense of everything which is why Betty always went to her for advice. Not bothering to stop Amanda's endless babbling, she grabbed her purse and was heading towards the elevator that would take her down to the cafeteria when she found Claire Meade standing in the middle of the hall with a disturbed look on her face.

"Hello, Mrs. Meade," Betty said cheerfully.

Usually Clare Meade would walk around the office with a warm smile and a carefree expression plastered on her face, but today was different. Something was off, and to say that the older woman looked bothered by something would have been overstating the obvious. Her face was pinched with tension and there was a deep troubled look in her eyes. Hearing Betty's greeting, her head snapped up and she afforded Betty a fleeting smile. The older woman's face seem to brighten somewhat at the sight of the perky Latina assistant.

"Is everything ok?" Betty asked gently.

Claire nodded.

"Actually....you are just the girl I wanted to see. Care to join me in my office for a brief little chat?" she asked hopefully.

The latina girl smiled apologetically.

"I would, Mrs. Meade, but I promised Christina I would meet her for lunch," she started.

Claire Meade smiled tolerantly.

"Humor me, Betty. This will only take a moment," she said in a tone that let Betty know that the polite invitation had just became mandatory to accept.

"Sure," Betty said forcing a smile before following Mrs. Meade to her office.

Pushing open the door to the office, Betty was surprised to see Mark sitting in one of the chairs in front of Mrs. Meade's huge mahogany desk.

"Have a seat Betty," Claire said curtly which Betty obeyed meekly.

No sooner then her backside had touched the seat, Mark was leaning in close to her as if he had something to share with her.

"I _knew _it. Since Conner stole all that money, they are starting to cut personnel and they decided to start with the assistants," Mark whispered to Betty petrified.

Betty felt her heart plummet into her stomach. She couldn't get fired! She loved this job and she needed the paycheck to pay her mounting bills. She began to wonder if Daniel knew about his mother's plans to terminate her.

Claire smirked.

"Relax. Neither of you are getting fired. The reason why I called you into my office is because there is a highly inappropriate situation going on in this office and I believe the both of you are aware of it," Mrs. Meade asked cryptically.

Betty and Mark exchanged a nervous look. All of a sudden, being fired didn't seem so bad considering the conversation about to take place.

"Mark, you should tell her," Betty whispered frantically.

Mark smiled a little too sweetly.

"I have no idea what she's talking about,"he lied easily.

Clare stared him down evenly.

"It would be ill advised to lie to the person who could crush your career with the snap of their fingers," she said evenly.

Mark gulped and the smile faded quickly. Apparently, the thought of losing his job was all the motivation he needed to tell the truth.

"Ok, I admit that I was constantly borrowing that insanely expensive Gucchi scarf from Christina's closet, but I swear on Cher's life that I will return it immediately. I swear the only one who saw me in it was my boyfriend Cliff," Mark started nervously.

Claire waved him off annoyed.

"It's not about a damn scarf, Mark, and you both know it. It's about your conniving boss Wilhemina and my son Daniel," she said agitated.

Betty began to squirm nervously in her chair, and Mark's breathing once again became shallow. She was starting to get a bad feeling of what this conversation was going to consist of, although she was completely baffled over how Claire had found out. She was pretty sure Daniel would rather die then to admit something that awful to his mother.

"W-what, about Daniel and Wilhemina?" Betty asked, her voice slightly high pitched.

The way Claire was glaring at her let Betty know that the older woman wasn't fooled one little bit.

"Let's cut the innocent act. You both know that my son and that witch, Wilhemina, were...involved last night," she said tersely.

Mark began to wheeze slightly.

"I know nothing. It was Betty who told me," Mark confessed.

Betty stared at him dismayed.

"Mark," she protested.

"It doesn't matter how anyone here found out or who told who. What matters is that it's happening and it makes me completely disgusted. Not only has Daniel done the unthinkable and slept with the same woman that had been his father's mistress for quite some time, he has knowingly slept with a woman who do _anything_ to rule over this company," she said evenly.

"I know it's hard to digest, Mrs. Meade, but it's Daniel's life and as unhappy with the situation as we all may be, I don't think there's anything we can do about it," Betty said softly.

Claire grinned darkly.

"Oh I disagree, Betty. There's plenty I plan on doing about this situation and that's the real reason why you and Mark are here. To help me," she paused before continuing in a sterner voice, "We all want the same thing here. Betty, you and I care a great deal about my son Daniel, and for some god awful reason, Mark cares about that troll of a boss of his..."

Mark made a face of displeasure. While he we was the first to gossip about Wilhemina's woes and troubles, he was the closest thing to a friend that Wilhemina had and he wasn't ashamed to admit that while making his loyalty known.

"Not to speak out of place, Mrs. Meade, it was Willie who called the authorities on Conner. She tried to save this company, not ruin it. Say what you want about Wilhemina Slater but she has worked to hard to see this company flourish," he said in defense of his boss.

Mrs. Meade snorted rudely and stared down at Mark as if he was some kind of insignificant insect. Everyone knew how Claire felt about Wilhemina. Wilhemina had executed a lot of unethical business and personal plots that had nearly ruined Claire Meade.

"Mark, do you honestly think that her one chilvarous act can make up for all the times she has tried to destroy my faimly?" she demanded.

"Wilhemina Slater may have done some questionable things over the years, but she would never want to see the _company _destroyed. Your family was just an side bonus for her," he said timidly.

"Mark, your loyalty is blind. To Wilhemina, you are no more then are cute queer little puppet," she said scathingly.

Mark blushed.

"You really think that I'm cute?" he asked batting his eyelashes flattered.

Betty rolled her eyes. She could always count on Mark to find a compliment in a statement that was meant to insult him.

"Mrs. Meade, I understand that your are upset and rightfully so, but I don't see how we can stop either of them from...being...together," Betty forced the words out of her mouth almost as if she had tasted something foul.

Claire's face twisted into an ugly snarl.

"They have become far too civil to one another over these past months. Daniel needs to be reminded that he and Wilhemina are not friends or anything of the sort. They are rivals, and I believe that is time for Mode to see the two clash once more. Once they are reminded of all the reasons why they hate each other, none of us will ever have to worry about them ever getting involved again!"

Betty knew the older woman had a point, but the whole plan just felt wrong to her. While she wanted to do everything in her power to prevent Daniel from being manipulated by Wilhemina, she wasn't really comfortable with orchestrating or manipulating a plan to turn them back into bickering and hostile coworkers. Over the past few months she could tell that the two had grown to begrudgingly respect each other, and, to the surprise of everyone in the office, learned to work together. The magazine had enough troubles to bear then to having to worry about two fueding co editors.

"I don't know about this, Mrs. Meade," Betty said hesitantly.

Claire nodded completely understanding.

"I'm sorry, Betty. I do not wish to ask you to do something that you are not comfortable with. My only motivation here is to protect my son, your boss, from making the biggest mistake of his life with Wilhemina," she said gently.

Mark quickly interjected.

"Betty, she does have a point. I mean none of us knows how long those two have been doing the horizontal tango. What if they have some kind of spat and let thier pleasure interfere with this business? We all risk getting caught in the middle and I have already been through enough of Wilhemina's little life drama. I don't even think I have it in me to go through anymore," he said dramatically.

Betty nodded silently before starring down at her feet.

"You know that I would do anything to protect Daniel," she started.

Mrs. Meades smile was sinister and chilling and it reminded Betty of the look in a cat's eyes, before it pounced and ate the helpless canary.

"So are you with me, or not?"

Betty nodded reluctantly causing Clare's smile to widen. The older woman walked behind down her desk and lowered herself down to the insanely expensive brown leather chair.

"Great! Now that we are all on the same page, we must learn the next time they plan on being alone together ," she started.

"Well Daniel had a business dinner with Wilhemina later on tonight that he had me schedule, but I don't think that is hardly the appropriate place or time to," Betty interjected.

Claire cut her off with an pleased smile.

"That's perfect, Betty. All you need to do is supply me with the time and the location of this dinner, and you can leave the rest up to me. Mark, your only job is to be my eyes and ears. Whatever Wilhemina confides in you about Daniel or anything else relevant, I want you to come and report back to me," she said firmly.

"I will end this thing between those two if it's the last thing I do," she said darkly before walking out of the office leaving Mark and Betty starring after with a feeling of dread and uneasiness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Chapter Five**

_Twinkle twinkle little star....how I wonder what you are.... _

_up above the sky so bright...like a diamond in the night_

_twinkle twinkle little star...how i wonder what you are..._

Wilhemina sung softly while rocking William in her arms as she slowly paced around the living room trying to get her moody son to fall asleep, but unfortunately, she wasn't having any success. Ever since she came home and relieved him from the custody of her babysitter, he had been volatile and fussy to the point where she was starting to get a throbbing headache. Usually he wasn't so high strung and un cooperative but today he was being defiant for some reason and she suspected he had an ear ache. Sighing she padded barefooted into the kitchen silently contemplating whether or not to fix her cranky son a bottle of warm milk, or to attempt to sing the over sung lullaby in another fail attempt to send him to dream world. Her thoughts were interrupted when a piercing scream tore from her son's throat echoing off the walls in the house.

"Oh, why won't you go to sleep, William? Can't you see that mommy is tired and has had a long day?" Wilhemina groaned as the baby began to grow even more agitated and fussy indicating he had no sympathy for her whatsoever.

Closing her eyes, she began to reflect on her stressful day back at the office. After she had been left alone to handle the budget meeting, she had received worse news. The company's lawyer informed her that instead of having a month to come up with the money to prolong the magazine's life, they only had a two weeks. She knew for a fact that two weeks wouldn't be enough time to rescue the magazine and she had began to think the end was becoming closer then she thought. After hearing that piece of bad news, Wilhemina had been a very nasty mood and opted to take the rest of the day much to the relief and gratitude of her verbally abused staff.

Sighing, an exhausted and irritated Wilhemina was preparing to sing the song reluctantly for the third time when the doorbell rang. She mumbled a soft curse as she glanced at the clock above the mantle of her fireplace realizing that it was most like Daniel arriving to go over the details of the budget meeting like they had arranged for earlier. Despite not wanting to particularly be in the presence of her co editor at the moment, she was secretly grateful for the distraction. Wilhemina gingerly placed the whimpering baby William in his rocker before heading through her lavished foyer to answer the door.

On the other side, Daniel stood on the foot mat in casual clothes holding a bag of white containers filled with food in one hand and a bottle of wine in another. Judging from the smells of the delicious scent wafing from the bags, she knew he had conceded and decided to bring the Thai food that she had been longing for all day. Not wanting him to see her satisfaction, she pursed her lips firmly and placed her hands on her hips almost defiantly.

"I don't suppose you bought a tranquilizer with any of that, did you?" she greeted him moodily before leading him into the apartment towards the living room where she had left the unhappy child.

Daniel could tell from the expression on Wilhemina's face that she was tired and worn out and probably wasn't in the best mood. He felt a surge of sympathy rush through him for her, but quickly shoved it out of his mind. Wilhemina was tough and hard as nails. If she could battle stubborn models and rebellious clients, he was pretty damn sure she could handle a child. However his stance quickly changed when he walked into the apartment and he spotted his half brother lying in a fancy bassinet fussing loudly, pulling at his heartstrings and before he could stop himself he placed the bag and bottle of wine on a table in the foyer before standing over the the basinet grinning down at the young infant.

Wilhemina watched with disdain and slight jealousy as William responded to Daniel's presence by cooing happily. She was further irked when he reached down lifting the baby into the arms and instead of crying, William was quiet and as peaceful as a lamb. Grinning with satisfaction, Daniel looked in her direction with an almost smug on his face.

"Here, why don't you go get the food and wine into some plates and glasses and I will see if I can put stubborn William down for the count," Daniel offered innocently.

If it would have been any other time, Wilhemina would have openly balked at the thought of Daniel not only touching her child, but giving her orders in the confines of her own home, but at that moment she was just too weary to protest, and she wasn't any mood to hear William's incessant bawling, so silently she carefully grabbed their dinner and stalked out of the room.

Walking into the kitchen, she placed the take out food into two plates and grabbed two wine glasses before making her way back into the living room. Her eyes widened when she found William fast asleep in Daniel's arms. Despite her wanting to be annoyed, a huge part of her couldn't help but to be impress by the charm Daniel seem to have over the child.

'I have been trying to put him under for the past hour and a half. How did you do that?" she asked stunned, not caring if he recognized the awe and gratitude in her voice.

Daniel smiled and simply shrugged as a light blushed colored his cheek.

"I like to think I have a way with kids," he whispered amused as he followed Wilhemina, who led him into the nursery and gently placed William down inside the beautiful ivory crib engraved with an assortment of different types of cute and cuddly wild animals.

After making sure the baby monitor was turned on, Wilhemina and Daniel returned to the living room, sitting down together on the couch and as they ate, they began to discuss the business at Mode that Daniel had missed earlier.

"So, how did the meeting go earlier, or do I even want to know?" Daniel asked with trepidation.

Wilhemina sighed heavily and shook her head as she poured herself another glass of wine which was a sign to Daniel that what she was about to tell him would not be very good news.

"The budget is getting thinner and thinner. We won't have any money to work with and once we run out of money the magazine will go dark sooner then we thought," she said seriously.

Daniel nodded bleakly running his fingers through his chestnut brown hair feeling frustrated.

"I had tried to put everything I have in savings into the magazine, but it barely made a dent in the amount of debt that we are in," he sighed discouraged.

For a long moment they sat together in silence, both starring blankly into the roaring fire in the fireplace across the room. With their backs being in the corner they were quickly running out of options. The thought of losing the magazine was affecting them both deeply for different reasons.

"I have come up with a plan that is rather risky but it's the only chance that we have at keeping Mode in the buisness," she said hesitantly.

"Right now I would be opened to just about anything," Daniel mumbled.

Wilhemina figured he would say that and felt a spark of hope come alive inside of her for the first time all day. If she could convince Daniel that her idea would work, then perhaps she could buy them some more time and if she succeeded she knew she would be hailed by the media and the staff at mode as the heroine that saved the magazine.

"The only way to save Mode and get everything back right again is if we get the money that Connor stole, back. That's why I have used most of my savings to hire an private investigator to track him down," Wilhemina said firmly.

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise at her suggestion.

"Do you know what the odds are of finding Connor? He could have changed his name and be hiding away in the Amazon as far as we know," he pointed out.

Wilhemina smirked.

"I highly doubt it. The Amazon is too primitive for Connor's taste. All I have to do is compile a list of places he could possibly be and follow the paper trail that he know doubt left behind," she explained hastily as she poured herself another healthy serving of wine.

The expression on Daniel's face showed that he wasn't entirely convinced about her plan.

"Don't you think the police would have done that already?" he asked.

She shook her head firmly.

"Why would they? The police really don't have any motivation to find Connor which is the difference between them and me. Once I find him," she started.

"What do you mean once _you_ find him? You can't be that crazy enough to think that you can do this alone. It''s too dangerous," he tried.

Wilhemina smiled smugly.

"It would be best if you left this up to me, Daniel. We both know you are not the type to get down and get your hands dirty and tracking down someone and making them pay is more of my expertise then it is yours," she pointed out before adding, "Besides. I don't need you getting in my way."

Daniel narrowed his eyes annoyed at her condescending words and felt himself grow angry. He couldn't believe that with the magazine's future in jeopardy, Wilhemina was still willing to try to be at odds with him and treat him like the enemy when he wasn't. For once they had a common goal in sight and instead of being at war at each other, he felt that needed to join forces and unite to find a way to pull the magazine out of the watery grave that it was heading towards at a frightening speed.

"Don't you think you should stop being petty for once in your life and actually consider what's good for the company? If we work together," he started but was interrupted from an annoying and condescending cackle that escaped her lips.

Wilhemina narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Don't try to play nice for once, Daniel. I know the very minute that I let my guard down and actually began to trust you, you will in some shape or form try to stab me in the back. I am not that naive to believe you would do otherwise," she said evenly.

Daniel didn't understand why, but her words cut him deeply. He knew that their sleeping together wouldn't change anything significant in their relationship, but he at least thought it would put them on the same page to do what was best for the magazine. Suddenly he began to feel like he was just waisting his time bumping heads with her when he could be finding other ways to do what was best for the company. With or without Wilhemina's help, he refused to let his father's legacy of Mode magazine go down in flame.

"We have learned to work together before, Wilhemina and it wasn't that bad. If we both agree to put aside all bad feelings then perhaps this plan of yours will actually work, but if you can't then I will " he growled before standing up to leave.

At first Wilhemina thought he was bluffing about leaving but when he spun on his heels and headed towards the door and showed no signs of stopping she knew she had to tone down her attitude if she hope to have his help. The only thing at that point that would get Daniel to not walk away was for her to apologize and as much she hated the thought of doing so, her back was in a corner and she had no other choice.

"Daniel, wait," she called out reluctantly.

He stopped walking but didn't turn around to face her. He wasn't sure why she was trying to prevent him from leaving, but he knew whatever was about to come out of her mouth had to do with saving the magazine or else he was gone.

"Listen I...I may have been a little harsh. When it comes to my feelings dealing with you I always want to lash out. I am just going to have to learn to stop seeing you as competition and start seeing you as an...ally," she sighed sounding somewhat apologetic.

When he didn't answer she huffed impatiently.

"Do not make me ask again, Daniel, because I will not stand here in a house coat and beg you for your help," she warned evenly.

Finally, after what seemed like forever Daniel let out a low chuckle as he slowly turned to face her once more. He should have known better then to expect an genuine apology from her, but for what it was worth, she did seem willing to put aside her difference in order to do what's best for the magazine.

"I think you would make better progress if you took the house coat off, and continued the begging," he joked causing her to blush lightly.

"Only in your wildest dreams will that _ever _happen," she smirked, but her light ct like green eyes showed that she was humored.

Now that they were both amused, their was less tension in the air. Daniel felt a less bit hostile and Wilhemina was alot less unpleasant.

"The only chance we will ever have of finding Connor is if we work together? Do you think that we can do that without trying to kill each other in the process?" he asked arching an dark eyebrow inquisitively.

Wilhemina folded her arms across her ample chest and smirked. While she detest the thought of being around Daniel any longer then she had to, she had to admit that the spoiled rich Mode heir had a valid point. If they wanted to really save the magazine was if they worked as one well oiled machine. As much as she disliked Daniel, she disliked having a questionable future at Mode even more.

"Fine, we will work together," she said smiling reluctantly, " Shall we get started?"


End file.
